Chapter 516: The Soul Domain

Fwoosh!

Without giving the group another moment to react, Nier hurled his spear directly toward the group, sending it tearing through the air with enough force to leave a trail of blazing flames behind it.

Leon immediately stepped forward, placing himself between the incoming weapon and his companions.

He swung his sword at the spear just before it could reach him, striking its shaft at an angle that redirected its trajectory and sent it flying away from the group.

However, Nier had already anticipated that possibility.

His figure suddenly vanished from its original position, moving so quickly that it seemed as though he had teleported.

Before the deflected spear could travel very far, Nier appeared directly above it and reached down to seize its shaft with one hand.

Using the momentum of his movement, he twisted his body in midair and brought the weapon crashing down toward Leon’s head.

Leon reacted immediately, raising his sword to block the descending spear.

The two weapons collided with a deafening clang, and the force of the impact spread across the floor beneath Leon’s feet, cracking the stone as he held his ground against Nier’s overwhelming strength.

“Amazing!” Nier laughed, his expression brightening with genuine excitement as he pushed against Leon’s sword. “I managed to defeat a few of those who reached the top by simply using this technique, and you managed to deflect it so effortlessly!”

“…?” Leon’s eyebrows rose slightly.

He had little time to consider it further because Nier suddenly pulled his spear away and stepped back, his smile fading as his expression became considerably more serious.

“Well then, let’s increase the stakes!”

Nier struck the tip of his spear against the ground, and a tremendous wave of energy erupted from the point of impact as he used his strongest ability from the start.

SOUL DOMAIN!

Flames spread outward in every direction, racing across the floor and climbing the pillars until they surrounded the entirety of the throne hall.

The temperature rose rapidly, but the heat was not the most dangerous part of the sudden transformation.

An immense pressure descended upon everyone’s soul.

The remaining soldiers immediately began to collapse, their knees striking the ground as they struggled to breathe.

Even those who had survived Leon’s earlier attack found themselves unable to stand, their bodies trembling beneath the crushing force that seemed to press directly against their very existence.

“L-Lord…” one of the soldiers managed to whisper before he fell forward, unable to say anything more.

Leon felt the pressure as well, and his expression grew more serious as he realized that Nier had changed the rules of the battle.

This was not simply an increase in physical strength or a more powerful attack.

The entire throne hall had become an environment where the strength of one’s soul determined whether they could continue fighting.

He quickly turned to check on his companions, only to find Emilia, Celeste, and Violet kneeling on the ground.

All three were struggling to resist the overwhelming pressure, and although they tried to rise, their bodies refused to obey them.

“Only those with a maxed-out soul may fight in my [Soul Domain]!” Nier declared, laughing as he watched the others struggle helplessly beneath his power. He raised his spear and pointed it toward Leon, his white eyes shining with excitement. “It’s just YOU and ME!”

Leon glanced at his companions one final time before turning back toward the tower boss.

The pressure was immense, but it was not enough to kill anyone outright.

Instead, it rendered everyone else in the chamber incapable of fighting, leaving the two strongest souls as the only ones able to move freely within the domain.

There would be no interference from the soldiers, or the girls.

Neither side could rely on anyone else to determine the outcome.

Leon adjusted his grip on his sword and settled into his fighting stance, his gaze fixed on Nier as he prepared to face the tower boss alone.

“Alright,” he said calmly. “Let’s end this.”

The flames continued to burn around them as the two combatants stood facing each other.

Slash! Slash!

The sound of clashing weapons echoed throughout the throne hall as Leon and Nier started their battle.

Only a few minutes had passed since the Lord of Souls activated his [Soul Domain], yet the two were already fighting at full strength, exchanging blows without giving each other a chance to rest.

Leon swung his sword toward Nier’s chest, but the tower boss blocked the attack with his spear before immediately countering with a powerful sweep.

Leon ducked beneath the weapon and stepped forward, attempting to strike Nier’s side, only for the man to turn and meet his blade once again.

Their weapons collided, sending sparks flying through the air.

‘How can he be so strong?’ Leon thought as he dodged another swing of Nier’s spear. ‘I should be far beyond him in terms of strength.’

Nier’s Combat Power was nearly twice his own, but Leon had still expected to have a greater advantage in their direct exchanges.

However, Nier was proving to be a different kind of opponent.

‘Well, I had the girls help me in some of those fights, but I would have still won eventually.’

Even so, Leon could not deny that the Lord of Souls was stronger than anyone he had faced so far.

His movements were precise, his attacks carried tremendous force, and he seemed capable of maintaining the same intensity without becoming tired.

Nier was completely focused on him, and the other three members of his group were not in any condition to interfere.

The pressure of the [Soul Domain] kept Emilia, Celeste, and Violet on their knees, preventing them from standing up and joining the fight.

The Lord of Souls seemed satisfied with this arrangement.

Since the three women could not even fight back, he saw no reason to waste his attention on them when Leon was the only opponent who could challenge him.

That suited Leon just fine too, as it allowed him to concentrate on the battle without worrying about Nier suddenly turning his attention toward his companions.

Still, he knew he could not afford to become careless.

Nier suddenly pulled his spear back, and the flames surrounding his body began to shift.

“Let’s see how you handle this!”